Restaurant service system and apparatus



,Marcli"l7, 1931. M. P. sARr-'ATY RESTAURANT SERVICE SYSTEM ANDAPPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 18, 192'? 4Sheets-Sheet 2 mail;

INVENTUR /aff'ro/v l? SHR/fa fr A TTUR/VEYS March 17, 1931. M. P.sARFATY RESTAURANT SERVICE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 18.192'? lSheets-Shee(l 3 qui-.fil

BY ATTORNEYS March 17, 1931. M. P. sARFATY RESTAURANT SERVICE SYSTEM ANDAPPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 18. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 W 9 w w 2 du 74Uf. mf A w wv A TTRNEYS Patented Mar. 17, 1931 PATENT OFFICE il MoRToNr; sARFATY, on nAReHMoN'r, NEW YORK RESTAURANT sEEvreE SYSTEM Ann.firmamos Application filed January 18, 192'?,` Serial No. 161,716.Renewed August 5, 1930.

T his invention relates to improvements in restaurant service systemsand apparatus, an-dhas for one of its objects to provide an improvedsystem whereby persons `may be expeditiously `served With a minimum f ofeffort.

Another object is to provide a 'system by means of Which a person mayplace an order `for food by operatinga device, including a plurality ofindicating members, to designat-e the articles desired after which theorder is filled by an attendant.

di furtherobject is the provision of a sys* tem ivherein, by the aid ofsignals, jan vattendant is enabled to ascertain when a certain seat isoccupied by a" patron, when an orderis placedby the patron and when saidpatron vacates hisscat. y l

\ AThe above and other objectswill appear more clearly from thefollowing detail del scription, when taken in connection With theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate a `preferred embodiment-of theinventive idea.

In the draivings-` i Figure l isa frontelevation of three units ot theapparatus employed in connection fwith the invention; i l

`Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through one of the unitstalrenon the line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of one ot the units; y

. Figure 4 `is a fragmentary section of the seat associated with eachunit;

`Figure 5 is a. fragmentary sectional view through the table `forming apart of each unit; i l

Figure 6` is an enlarged fragmentary sectional vicw through `the panelillustrating CIJ signal control circuit for each unit.

the `chute in which the patrons checkis de- The prc'terred torni ot theinvention as ili lustrated in the drawings, is shown as comprising apanel or partition 'll which is divided into a plurality ot similarlyconstructed units lf2 each designed to accommodate one patron. The panelll is conveniently arranged in any desired manner so as to secure themaximum number of units for any allotted iloor space and divides saidspace into a section on one side thereof for the accommodation ot tbcpatrons and another space on the opposite side for the servicedepartment in which the attendants operate.

In `carrying'out the system involved, `when a patron occupies a seat 13,a pairiof signals in the form of incandescent lamps lt and li', whichmayr be red in color andtvhich are arrangeifl on opposite sidesot theramolli, are lightedto indicate to the attendant that a patron basseated himseli", the attendant observing the lamp la While the patronmay see the lamp 14. l`he patron now proceciflsto place his order byoperating the menu indicating device, generally indicated at l5,individual to the unit l2 before which he is seated and when this deviceis operated a second pair of lamps 16 and l(3.uliicl1n1aybe White incolor, are lighted. `The attendant observes, on his side ot the panelll, the articles ordered on the indicatingdevice. and then proceeds tolill the order. a food rack 17 being placed conveniently tor thispurpose. The order is preferably placed upon a tray 18 and then passed,`from the attendu nt's side, through an opening lf) formed in the paneland placed upon the table 2() supported by said panel pist below saidopening and in front ot the patrons seat. The opening 1) is normally`closed bya door 2T operated by a treadle 29 through the medium ol links2f and 30,

The placing ot the tray '1S on the table as described.` is utilized toei'l'ect` the operation ota switch Q1 on said table which is engaged bythe tray and thus eiiects illumination oi a third pair ot lamps 22 and22', which may bc green in color. Should the patromduring the'course ofhis meal` Wish to communicate, u'itb the attendant to any reason be maydo so by operating a switch 23 and thercbyilluminato the lamps A and2t', which may be holder',

' order other articles the attendant may blue in colorl The attendantobserving` the lighted lamp 24 may comnnlnicate with the patron throughan opening 25 in the panel which normally closed by a door 2G. Theswitch 223 is of a type which permits of the lamps- 24, Q4 being' alsounder the control of the attendant so that after any special service isrendered in response to the lighting of the lamp 24, said lamps may beextinguished from the attendants side of the panel.

At the time of placing' the tray upon the table 2O the attendantextingrl'iishes the lamps 1t, 1(5 in a manner to appear in .the courseof the description. thus leaving; only the lamps 14, 14 and 22, 22illuminated and thereby indicatingl that the patron has been served withhis order. At the conclusion of the meal the patron arising' from theseat 13 causes the extineuishiim` of the lamps 14, 14', thereby leaving`only the lamps 22, 2Q illuminatcd. Observing' this condition, theattendant is informed that the seat 13 has been vacated and that thetrav 18 is still on the table. rl`he tray is then removed through theopeninglt) b v opening' the door QT, in the manner previouslydescribed., The .removal ofthe tray releases the switch 2l, and thusextinguishes the lamps Q2, 92, thcrebyindicat ing that the unit is clearand ready for another patron.

In accordance with the arrangement above described, it will be obviousthat the patron may be served directly at the place where he is seatedand thus Vobviate the inconvenience of similar types of serving systems,such as cafeteras and others of the self-serving type, wherein thepatron usually selects a seat at some point more or less remote from theplace where he secures his service. For the further convenience of thepatrons a parcel rack 31 may be secured to the panel 11 beneath thetable 20. A shelf 32 on the other side .of the panel and below the tablemay be utilized for storing different articles, such as eatingr utensilsand the like.

Each unit 12 is provided with a check in the form of a chute 33, at aconvenient place upon the projects through said panel so that theattendant after serving' the order may place the check on the chtitewith the lower end thereof projecting through to the front of the panelWhere it may be obtained by the patron after he has completed his meal.lf, during the progress of themeal. he should tcmporarily withdraw thecheck from the chute vto alter the amount thereof.

In Figure 10 a diagrammatic view of the circuit for each unit is shown.Foi-simplicity the Various lamps 14, 14, LG, 1G", Q2, 22 and 24, Q4 areindicated by single lamps and it Will be assumed that those .shown arethe attendants lamps 14, 1G, Q2 and 24. 'these lamps are connected inparallel with the panel, which., chute A main circuit includingl theconductors 34 and a switch 35 is utilized to control the connection ofeach unit to said conductors. The switch 3G controlling the lamp 14 isthe switch mounted in the scali 13. The switch 3T is indicative of aplurality of switches on the menu indicating device, any one of which isutilized to control the light 1G. The light 22 is controlled by theswitch 21, as prek viously described, when a tray is placed upon thetable 2O while the lamp 24 is controlled by the switch 23, which iscommonly known as a three-way switch.

The seat shown in 'detail`r in Figure 4 comprises a standardt inthe,upper end of which is slidably and non-.rotatably mounted a bearing- 39yieldably supportedA by a spring 40. Carried by the seat proper'is a pin41 rotatably mounted in the bearing,` 3. As pressure is appliedto thescat the bearing is forced dowmvardly against the tension of `the spring40iuntil the lower end of said bearing' contactsthe switch to close thecircuit for lighting` the lamps 14, 14.

The construction ofthe menu indicating device Awill nowv be 'describedin detail, and since these devices are :alike a description of one will'sutlice In the form shown, each device consists of a casing.,Tpivotally mounted at 43 in an opening` 44 formed in the panel 11. On theouter sideof the casing facing' the patron there is provided a cardsupportingplate 45 having;` 'the o u-twardly projecting` bosses or ribs46 alongside ,of which provision is made fonremovably mounting` themenu'cards 4T; Duplicates of these cards are alsojmounted` on the innerside o't'the casing' 4Q so as to be observed by the attendant. Aplurality of indicating members, in the form of keys or plungers 4S,`

are supportedl in` the 'casing and extend through the bosses 4G. Thesekeysare yieldably held in an outwardly projected position by coilsprings 49 and each of the keys is individual to and arranged oppositeoneA of the articles on the menu cards, the normal position of a keybeine` shown at the left of Figure 9, while at the right of said tiourea key is shown in its operated position. Vhen it isl desired to order aVcertain article on the menu, the key corresponding to said article isdepressed to project the inner end thereof beyond the adjacentsur'faceof the casing 4T, so as to indicate to the attendant that the particulararticle corresponding: to said key has been ordered. It is desirablethat. the various keys be temporarily retained in their operatedposition in'order to give the attendant an opportunity to ascertain thecomplete order desired by the patron.- For this purpose there is mountedwithin the casingr 4Q a partition 49T which pivotally supports aplurality of spring` pressed levers 50, which normally engage theenlarged inner the keys. lVhen one of the keys is depressed ends of Aeoits associated lever 50 will be forced by spring pressure into anannular groove 51 formed in the key so as to prevent the return of thekey to its normal position when pressure is relieved therefrom. One endof each lever 50 carries a contact 52 which engages another contact 53when the lever is forced into the groove 5l of its key. The contacts 52and 53 comprise the switch 37 (Figure 10) and the engagement of thesecontacts is utilized to close the circuit including the conductors 54for lighting the lamps 16, 16', thereby indicating to the attendant thatthe patron is placing an order. After the attendant has filled the orderand is passing the tray through the opening 19 in the panel on to thetable, he may at the same time restore the various operated keys of theindicating device to their normal position by operating a trip device 55in the form of a substantially U-shaped frame slidably mounted withinthe casing 42 and having a projection 56 at its lower end extendingthrough said casing within reach of said attendant. This trip device isprovided with a. plurality of projections 57 each of which is individualto one of the levers 50 and engages therewith when the device is forcedupwardly in the casing so that any lever, which is at the time inengagement with a groove in one of the keys, will be elevated to itsnormal position and said key will restore to its normal position underthe influence of its spring 49.

What is claimed is:

1. In a restaurant service system7 a partition, a table and seatarranged at one side of said partition, a signal on the other side ofsaid partition, a menu-indicating device on said partition, meanscontrolled from said seat for operating said signal for signalling anattendant when a customer occupies said seat, a door in said partitionadjacent said table through which a tray may be placed on said table, asecond signalling device on said other side of the panel, means wherebysaid second signalling device is actuated upon operation of saidmenu-indicating device, another signalling' device also on said otherside of the anel, and means whereby said other signalling device isactuated by the placing upon said table of a tray containing the orderfilled in accordance with said menu-indicating device for subsequentlyindicating to said attendant that the order has been iilled.

2. In a restaurant service system, a partition, a table and seatarranged at one side thereof, a menu-indicating device on saidpartition, a signal on the other side of said partition, meanscontrolled from such seat for operating said signal for signalling anattendant when a customer occupies said seat, a door in said partitionadjacent said table through which a tray may be placed on lsaid table, asecond signalling device on said other side of the panel, means wherebysaid signalling device is actuated upon 0peration of saidmenu-indicating device, another signalling device also on said otherside of the panel, means whereby said other signalling device isactuated by the placing upon said table of a tray containing the orderfilled in accordance with said menu-indicating device for subsequentlyindicating to said attendant that the order has been filled, and meanswhereb said other signalling device becomes inetiective upon the removalof the emptied tray.

3. In a restaurant service system, a partition, a plurality of tablesarranged at one side thereof, a plurality of seats on the same side ofthe partition, each of said seats being placed adjacent one of saidtables, a plurality of apertures in said partition through which traysmay be placed, one of said apertures being adjacent each of said tables,a plurality of menu-indicating devices on said partition, one of saidmenu-indicating devices being arranged adjacent each of said tables, aplurality of signals on the other side of said partition, each of saidsignals corresponding to one of said seats, means controlled from eachof said seats for `operating the corresponding signal for signalling anattendant when a customer occupies said seat, said signals being visiblefrom all points behind said partition, a plurality of other signallingdevices on said other side of the panel., each of said second signallingdevices corresponding to one of said menuindicating devices, meanswhereby each of said second signalling devices is actuated uponoperation of the corresponding menuindicating device, a plurality ofother signalling devices also on said other side of the panel, each ofsaid other signalling devices corresponding to one of said tables, andmeans whereby each of said other signalling devices is actuated by theplacing upon the corresponding table of a tray containing the orderfilled in'accordance with said menuindicating device for subsequentlyindicatctlc said attendant that the order has been 4. In a restaurantservice system, a partition, a plurality of tables arranged at one sidethereof, a plurality of seats on the same side of the partition, each ofsaid seats being placed adjacent one of said tables, a plurality ofapertures in said partition through which trays may be placed, one ofsaid apertures being adjacent each of said tables, a plurality ofmenu-indicating devices on said partition, one of said menu-indicatingdevices being arranged adjacent each of said tables, a plurality ofsignals on the other side of said partition, each of said signalscorresponding to one of said seats. means controlled from each of saidseats for operating the corresponding signal for signalling an attendantwhen a customer occupies said seat, said signale beingr visible from allpoints behind said partition, a plurality of other signalling devices onsaid other side of the paneh each of said second signalling devicescorresponding to one of said menu-indicating devices, means whereby eachof said second signallingrd'evices is actuated upon operationof thecorresponding menu-indicating device,

` a plurality of other signalling devices also on said other side of thepanel, cach of said other signalling devices corresponding to one ofsaid tables, means whereby each of said other signalling devices isactuated by the placing upon the corresponding table of a traycontaining the order filled in accordance with said menu-indicatingdevice for subsequently indicating to said attendant that the order hasbeen filled, and means whereby each of said other signalling devicesbecomes ineffective upon the removal of the emptied tray.

In testimony whereof I have aliixed my signature.

MoRToN P. SARFATY.

